Thomas webster



T; WEBSTER.

SHIPPING BOX FOR EGGS ANDUTHER FRAGILE ARTICLES. APPLlcATloN HLEu Nov.16. 1914.

THOMAS nW'EBSJHR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

vSHIPPNGr-BOX FOR EGGS AND OTHER FRAGLE ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, i916.

Application filed November 16, 1914. Serial No. 872,385.

To all whom t may concer/)z Be it known that I, THOMAS lVniis'rnn, acitizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of New York, in the boroughof Brooklyn, county `of Kings, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful lmproveinents 'in Shipping-Boxes for Eggs andother Fragile Articles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boxes for shipping eggs, glassware and otherfragile articles by parcel post, express or otherwise.

The object of the invention is to provide a. shipping box of thischaracter possessing the qualities of lightness in weigl'it, cheapnessof construction and sufficiency of strength, combined with a shockabsorbing yieldability which protects the contents against breakage andinsures safety thereof in transit, and the parts thereof may be easilyand readily assembled.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention will be bestunderstoodl when having ieference to the accompanying drawing, in which,s

Figure p l is a perspective view of the shipping crate, embodying myinvention; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 2-2 ofFig. 3; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line ofFig. 2; Fig` Li is a plan view of a foldable blank adapted to form oneoftheinterior holding members for the articles to be carried within thebox. Fig. 5 is a plan view of said blank in set-up position, the endiiaps thereof being shown in locked position at one end and in releasedposition at the other end. Fig.v 6 is an end view of the locked endofthe set-up blank shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a transverse verticalsection taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 5. i

Similar reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout thevarious figures of the drawings.

YThe shipping box inthe particular einbodiment herein shown isrectangular in form and designed to carry eggs, but the invention is notrestricted to such form nor such articles. This embodiment comprises anouter inclosing casing, box or crate l0 having a cover l1 and aplurality of interior shock absorbing article holders 20-21 and 22-23for the fragile articles. The outer casing 10 which may be constructedof any suitable material is preferably made of pasteboard, sti paper,fiberoid or the like. The cover l1 of suitable material is preferablyhinged integrally or otherwise onthe line 12 to the side wall l5, andpro vided `with downward overlapping flaps 13 and 14.

Two holders for eggs or other articles are disposed side by side in thecasing l0,

eaclrliolder being composed oftwo elastic or yielding members orsupports disposed one above the other, the eggs or other articles beingcarried between them. One of these holders is composed of a flexible,collapsible `lower member 20 and a similar fiexible, collapsible uppermember 2l, the member 2l being disposed in inverted position over themember 20. The other holder is composed of a similar lower foldablemeinber 22 and a corresponding inverted upper folding member 23. Eachholder is preferably adapted to carry a plurality of eggs or otherarticles to be packed and transported.

In the manufacture of the interior holders, the members thereof, whetherupper or lower, are stamped as shown in Fig. 4f from one continuousblank of cardboard or similar Fig. 4. Each pocket 25 is adapted toreceive one end of an egg or other article to be contained, said pocketbeing somewhat smallei than the vdiameter of such article at its largestpart and being preferably elliptical in shape to increase itsadaptability to eggs of different sizes. The pockets may be of differentshapes according to the articles to be suspended therein. The centralportion E24 having the skeleton pockets 25 is provided with a scoreorcrease 26 which is disposed about midway between and runs parallelwith the side flaps aforesaid and on a line intersecting said pocketsabout the center thereof. This central portion is provided at one endwith two end flaps 27 and 28 disposed side by side and separated fromsaid portion by a transverse score 62 and 'from each other by alongitudinal cut or everance 63, and at its opposite end with similarend flaps 29 and 30 separated therefrom Vby a transverse score G4 andfrom'Y each other by a longitudinal cut G5. Both sets of said end flapshave their outer side edges 33 beveled and their outer ends 3-1 beveledas shown in Fig. t. rihe side flap 35 has end closing flaps 37 and 39 atits opposite ends separated from said side flaps by transverse scores 75 and 7G and the side flap 36 has end closing fiaps 3S and a() separatedfrom its opposite ends by transverse scores 77 and 7 3. These scorespreferably break joint with and are outside the plane of the transversescores G2 and G4 so as to permit the end flaps which are attached to theside flaps to fold inside the end flaps which are attached tothe centralbody portion. The end fiap 37 has a V -shaped notch l1 on its inner edgeand the end flap 33 has a similar notch 4-1 on its outer edge. Similarnotches i1.12 and 413 are located at the inner and outer edgesrespectively of the end flaps 39 and 40.

ln setting up and assembling the holders within the casing two blankslike that shown in Fig. 1 are used for each holder, four being requiredfor the box shown in Fig. 2. Each of these blanks is folded as follows:The side flaps 35 and 36 are folded along thescores 60 and 61 at rightangles to the body or central portion 24. vThe end flaps k27 and 28continuouswith said body portion are folded downward 'along thetransverse score 62 and the end fiaps 29 and 30 also continuous withsaid body portion are likewise folded downward along the transversescore 64. .The end flaps 37 and 3S, which are continuous with the sideflaps 35 and 36, are folded inward on the transverse scores 75 and 76and interloeked by means of their notches 41 andft1. The end flaps 39and l-O,

which are also continuous with the side flaps 35 and 36, are foldedinward along the transverse scores y77 and 73 and interlocked by meansof their notches i12 and 4:13. rEhe top24 is bent downward along thescore 26 thereof forming a shallow V-shaped depression. Thisdownwardbending of said body swings the-end flaps 27 and 28 outward and bringstheir beveled edges 33 against the side walls 35 and 36 and brings thebeveled ends 34: flush withthe bottom of the casing.

VTwoof the blanks thus folded are set up side by side in the box 10,forming the lower members 20 and 22 respectively of the two holderscontained in said box. rl`he eggs 50 or other articles to be packed kareplaced with their lower ends in the pockets 25 of said lower members.The other two blanks thus folded and constituting the upper members 21and 23of said holders are disposed in inverted position over the members20 and 22 and their pockets engage the upper ends of said eggs or otherarticles. Y

rllhe il-shaped bends or 4folds kalong .the

lbodies `of each member of each holder, intersecting the pocketsthereof, cause the holder to have contact with the eggs or otherarticles on oppositely inclined planes transversely thereof. T he crease26 acts as a hinge along the line of pockets and imparts va resiliencyto the angular bend in which the pockets are located. As thusconstructed the body of the holders rise and fall easily under theflexibility imparted by the crease 2G and spread and contract laterallyunder shocks or ars to which the box may be subjected. Such resiliencyis under control by the end flaps 27 and 28 and 29 and 30 in connectionwith the side walls, and the articles are prevented from bumping againstthe top'or bottom of the box.

rihe device has given excellent results in practical use fortransmitting frail articles by parcel post.

ln the accompanying drawings, l have shown the simple and preferred formof the invention, but it is to be understood that l do not limit thesame to the embodiment shown, but reserve the right to make any changesor alterations that come within the spirit of the invention, and definedin the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent1- Y 1. A shock absorbing holder for yeggs or otherfragile articles, comprising a blank having supportingside walls and atop integral Atherewith and providedvwith transverse openingsconstituting skeleton pockets and a longitudinaly score along said topintersecting said transverse openingsand permitting said pocketed LtopAto rise and fall and laterally spread and contract under shock, andmeans for limiting such movement.

2. A shock absorbing holder for eggs or other fragile articles,comprising 'a blank having supporting side flaps and a central bodyportion provided with a skeleton pocket and a folding creaseintersecting lsaid pocket and forming a hinge along which said bodyportion bends freely, rising and falling and vlaterally spreading andcontracting under shock, and end flaps having beveled edges adapted toengage said side walls and limit such movements.

3. A shock absorbing holder comprising two members disposed 1in invertedrelation ,and holding an article between them,-each member having acentral body portion and supporting side flaps integral therewith, saidcentral body portion having a skeleton pocket and al folding creaseintersecting said pocket and forming a hinge along which said bodyportion bends freely, rising and falling under shock, and means forlimiting such movement.

4. `A blank for va container consisting of a flexible sheet comprising atop having a series of transverse openings forming skeleton pocketsdisposed apart from one another along said top and with a longitudinalscore intersecting said pockets between the ends thereof, said scorepermitting said top to bend and form an angular bulge at the sides ofsaid pockets in setting up for use.

In a device of the class described, oomprising a'body portion, a.longitudinally eX- tending crease formed therein, dividing the bodyportion into sections, side-walls formed with the body portion, endflaps formed with the side-walls, having lockingmeans for holding theside walls in an operative position, and for including the sections ofthe body portion, end flaps formed with the body portion for limitingthe movement of the sections of the body portion, said body portionhaving elongated openings formed therein, and a like body portionarranged inverted above the first-named body portion, with the openingsof the second body portion in substantial registration with the openingsof the first-named body portion.

6. A blank for an article carrier consisting of a ieXible sheet providedwith parallel longitudinal scores constituting lines of fold between thebody portion of the sheet designed to form a top andtheportionsthereofdesigned to form the side walls, scores between said top and theportions designed to form end flaps, said top having transverse openingsorming skeleton pockets disposed apart from one another and a creaseintersecting said pockets at the sides thereof, said crease permittingsaid body to bend and form an angular' bulge along said pockets insetting 4up for use.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.'

THOMAS WEBSTER. Witnesses F. Hoes, Jos. BISBAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

